Laboratory

Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound used in agriculture and to make pyrotechnics or cold packs or to perform other interesting demonstrations. It’s also used to create controlled explosions in mining and quarrying. It was once mined as a natural mineral in the deserts of Chile, but it is no […]

It’s often necessary to dry or pre-rinse a graduated cylinder for use in chemistry lab. When you wash or dispense liquid from a graduated cylinder, a small amount of liquid remains. This liquid can have an adverse effect on your results, so you may need to either pre-rinse the cylinder […]

There are two types of data. Qualitative data is descriptive information about characteristics that are difficult to define or measure or cannot be expressed numerically. Quantitative data is numerical information that can be measured or counted. Qualitative → Qualities Quantitative → Quantities Examples of Qualitative Data feelings and emotions texture […]

I’m commonly asked why many chemistry ‘recipes’ call for vodka or Everclear as opposed to medical-grade ethanol (alcohol). The answer is simple: It’s easy and inexpensive to obtain vodka, while obtaining medical-grade ethanol, even if you have a permit, can be expensive. Aside from the regulations surrounding ethanol, it’s a […]

Do you have any tales to tell of lab experiments gone very wrong or lab accidents you have witnessed? What is the most dangerous thing you have ever seen someone do in a lab? Here’s your chance to tell the tale. A Freshman in Regents Chem I was cleaning the […]

One of the most common materials used to make disposable gloves is nitrile. Nitrile compounds contain the CN- (cyano) functional group. Nitrile gloves are available in many colors, though the most common colors are purple and blue. There are a couple of interesting facts about these gloves: You either want […]